I tried this before my last join and it didn't seem to work. Maybe I need to do this before my first couple hold files?

In looking through the documentation I tried this in my define:

DEFINE FILE SACRS
SITE_ID_CLASS/A11=SACRS.SEG01.STRM ||'.'||CALL_NO_CLASS;
SITE_ID_SEQ/A11=J1.SEG01.STRM ||'.'|| CALL_NO_SEQ;
SITE_IDX/A11 MISSING ON NEEDS SOME=IF SITE_ID_SEQ EQ ' ' THEN SITE_ID_CLASS ELSE SITE_ID_SEQ;
END  

and the outputed this:

TABLE FILE SACRS 
PRINT 
     'SACRS.SEG01.TERM'
     'J1.SEG01.SITE_IDX'
     'SACRS.SEG01.SITE_ID_CLASS'
     'J1.SEG01.SITE_ID_SEQ'
     'SACRS.SEG01.START_DT'
     'SACRS.SEG01.TITLE'
     'SACRS.SEG01.COURSE_ID'
     'SACRS.SEG01.DESCR'
     'SACRS.SEG01.PUBLISH'
     'SACRS.SEG01.END_DT'
     'SACRS.SEG01.TEMPLATE'  

And the regular site_idx still only lists/duplicates the site_id_seq column.

Malinda

I must not be doing something right cause I still can't get this to work.....though the concept makes sense.

Help please......

Malinda

If this no data=' ' thing is supposed to work, where would I put that? I have the 2 hold files that I want to join together, create a defined field off of a column in each of the hold files. Since they are hold files when they are combined if a value is missing from one file I want to use the value from the other file. Where would I put my no data in order to do a if field1 eq ' ' then field2 else field1 statement after I join my 2 hold files together?

Malinda

The NODATA setting is for display only. It doesn't change anything for evaluation of a field value or for values in a hold file.

So is there any way to do what I am wanting or is the best way to just create the extra hold file and then do the define on that?

malinda